maxim



(No Model.) 6 Sheets-Sheean'l.

H. S. MAXIM.4

MACHINE GUN.

No, sammy.

('No Model.) 6 Sheets-Sheet 2.

H. S. MAXIM MACHINE GUN. No. 395,791.

Patented Jan. 8, 1-889.

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6- Sheets-Sheet 3.

(No ModeL H. S. MAXIM.

MAGHINEGUN.

16.395,791. Patented @11.8. 1889.

(No Model.) v 6 Sheets-Shea); 4.

H. S. MAXIM.

,MACHINE GUN. N0.`395,791. Patented Jan. 8, 1889.

(No Model.)

6 Sheets-Sheet 5.

f H.. S. MAXIM.

, MACHINE GUN,

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(No Model.)

kH. S.MAXIM.

. MACHINE GUN.

No. 395,791.1 Patented Jell-8,1889I 5 STATES NereK H'IRAM STEVENS MAXIMATEN@ ertoe.

MAcHiNuN.'

@EGEICTEGE forming part of Letters Pa.tent No. 395,791, dated January 8,18,89.

pplicetion filed October 10,

To @ZZ whom it muy concerm.

Be it known that l, vi-imtn STEVENS MAXHI, mechanical engineer, :icitizen of the United Ste-tee of America, and :i residentot London, xcross-pieces invented-new and useful Imn Englnnd, have movements inMachine @nd other Guns, (for which l have obtained a, patent in GreatBritain, No. 8,251, bearing date July 8, 1885,) of which the followingis a. specification, referenee being had to the accompanying drewinge;

i' y invention relates to automatic guns, end comprises the improvementshereinafter eet forth, and illust-rated in the accompanying drawings, inWhich- Figure'l is e side elevation; Fig. z?, a vertical longitudinalcentral section; and Fig. 3, e. pien, partly section en the line a5'.1", Fig. 2.' transverse Section' on' the 'line mi mi, Fig. Q. Figs. 6to Si ere different views showing the breech-block detached.' Figs.iG-to i2 are diferent views showing the eertridgecerrier,hereinefterdeseriiied.

A indicates e .strong metal treme, which is provided with trunnioner A',whereby it can be supported in or upon e. suitable carriage orti-ipod.The seid frame is also provided with handles A, to facilitate the aimingor pointing of the gun.

B is the barrel, which is firmlysecured in cnietl to the block B', oneon each side thereof. These ple-tes are connected near their rear endsby a cross-ber, Bi, and, in combination g with the eeid cross-bar andthe block B,orm

Y spring is attached to to effect, or assist in ei'ect-ing, the return efreine, which is fitted to slide to and fro within the frame A. Thebarrel B is fitted to slide in a guide, A5, formed on the frame A,

,to permit the to-and-fro movement of the said barrel with the innersliding frame above described.

Re' is n spring'. the tension of which is adinstable by ineens ofenerew, Ai". This the block B and nerves movement of the seid innerfreine after it has been moved backward by the recoil;

C is the b reeeh-hlock, which is made with in horizontal section on theline .11, Fig. l, of n gun constructed according to my i presentimprovements, Fig. l is a transverse Fig. 5 is a Two plates, B2 B3, arefirmly se- 1885. Serinl No. 179,484. (No model.) Patented in EnglandJuly 8, `llqli'u. 8,281.

. an open-ended slot, C', to receive and permit the movement of thepiu Dof the crankshaft D. The said breech-block is made with C2, which 4arefitted to slidel in'. 55 grooves or channels 'B5 in the side plates, B2B3. The said block is, moreover, fitted to slide to and fro in e grooveor channel, A5, in a f crossber, A4, formed on or secu-red to the coveror top of v the frame A.

The crankshaftI Dis carried in bearings B6, I'which are formed on theside plates, B2 B3, l and ere lit-ted to slide in slots A6 in the sidesof the frame A. 0n one end of tliesaid shaft is fixed an arm, D2, whichoperates, in the 65' nimmer 'hereinafter described, in combination withe. spring,.A7, or other point of resistence fixed or formed on the frameA. The shaft vD is also provided with a crank-handle, D8, whereby thesaid' shaft een berotatcd by. 7o hand when'lnecesssery.4 AThiscrank-handle is mmnged to strike against'one or the other of two stops,A8 A, fixed or formed on the frame A, -when'the crank arrives at eitherof its extreme positions. l Eis e spring for storing energy during therecoil, and then reacting to effect the return movement of the crankshaft, the breechblock, and other parts. This spring vis arranged withine casing, E', secured to the 8o frame A, oneend of the said spring'being secured to the crank-shaft D and the other end thereof to the pinor stud E2, fixed in the casing E. l

F is the firingepimwhich isrv made with a 85 slot or notch, F', and witha rib or projec- G is the hammenxyhich is carried by and l pivoted tothe breech-block C, ond is made with en arm, G', which extends upwardinto 9o' the notch F' in the firing-pin. l

H is a.' -lever or sear,which is' alsocarried f by and pivoted to thebreech-block, and is adapted to engage with a shoulder, G2, on thehammer G.

H isn spring, which is fitted upon va pin,

f H2, fixed in the breech-block, and which acts,v

:upon the said hammer end Sear..

C5 is a lever or'sear,which is carried by and i pirated to thebreech-block C, and is acted xoo npon'h a spring, 0 4. This scarbeersvatitsi free en upon the crank-nin D when in the IQA in the saidpiston.

ton, l". 'lhese pistons at each of their'eit-I tremities tit closelyaround the barrel; but each piston is made with an intermediate cavity,1"", which surrounds the barrel, and

which preferably communicates with tliefinterior of t-he water-chamber?by perforations I Betweenl theseI pistons a spiral spring, P, is'placedupon the barrel, so

`that it will exert equal pressure upon the pisrtons, and consequentlyupon the 'packing in the two shifting-boxes. To more etfeetually insurethis equality of pressure, I make the barrel of thcjsame externaldiameter at theI muzzle as at the breech end thereof.

Q is a plate or shutter fdr closing the aperture A in the frame A. Toinsure the opening'o-f thisapertureto 'permit the empty car--tridgeLcases to fallout ot'v the gun when extraeted,` the saidplate Qis provided with a projection, Q', so that when the breech-blockmovesbackward it will come in contact with the'said projection and pushthe said plate back.` The plate Q is also provided with a. projection`Q2, whereby it can be readily v sistinc' of the' block l, side plates,Ii? B3, and

Y slots A in the frame A. 'istrkes the spring A', whereby the said armare thus moved backward.

cross-bar H4, recoil, 'together with the breech mechanism, 'the'bearings li sliding in the The arm. D then and the crank-shaft, D ar'evrotated in the dithe crank-pin 1) reaches the position indi# cated bythe dot-ted lines at. in Fig. 2..

Th,=breechbloc.k and the sliding,r carrier )l :In this backwardmovement. a cartridge is drawn out of t-he feed-belt K by the-carrier )Lwhich simul taneously extracts a cartridge-case from the barrel-chamber.

The breech-block opens the doororshutter -'Q, and theemptycartridge-ease, extracted by the carrier M, drops through theaperture A.

' barrel.

breech-block and other parts the spi-inf,r E is i wound uporcompressed.. The said sp1-ing',-

The cartridge drawn outof the belt K is heid or supported in theIgrooves or channels M2 by .he spring MG. As soon as the said cartridgeas been removed back-ward a sutiicient. distance to be clear of Vthebarrel, the spring M?,

'acting upon the top of the carrierM,'moves the same downward, andthnsbrings thosaid) cartridge into position to' be thrust iil'to' th'e Inthe rearward movement. ot' the by its reaction, effects the returnmovement of the various parts, and the said cartridge is A thrust intothe barrel by the carrier M. At

or near-the termination of the forward movement ofythe crank-shat`t Dthe pins or pro-- .etions D act upon the levers and raise.

the carrier M so that it 'engages with the tia-nge tridge has been fedforward during the toand-fro movement of the breech-block by the meanshereinafter described. It will therefore be seen that thetiange. of acartridge remains in the grooves M2 of the carrierM from themomentwhen-the carrier is moved 11p-- ward by the levers N until the saidcartridge has been lowered, thrust into the barrel, explodethand theempty shell or case extracted. The said shell or case then dropsfreelyfrom the said carrier.

The slot t," in the breech-block, for a short distance from its upperend, is'made concentric with the shaft D, and the lower' part of t-hesaid slot is so formed that 'the crank-pin D will drive the breech-blockhome before y completing its forward'movement. Therefore during thelatter part of it-s forward move- 'ment the crank-pin will not act uponthe said block, but will merely' travel freely in that part ofA the slotwhich isoncentrie with the crank-shaft By these 'means I am enabled touse 'the power' of the spring- E, after thel breech-block is drivenhome, entirely for raising fthe carrier .M 'and releasing the tiring-pinE from the-Sear Cs.- i .Y

The carrier above described, which holds the cartridges and lowers theminto position to be thrust into the barrel, is an importantv feature ofmy present 'invent-ion. Its construction and the means employed foroperating it will b e varied according to the construct-ion of the'g'unAto which it is applied. -v What- I claim is al. In a nnichine-gumthecombination,with

, a 'recipromtingf breech-block, of a carrier al" reetion indicated bythe arrow in Fie'. l until IOO ranged to slide vertically in saidbreech-block,

IIO

a reciprocating breech-block, of a carrier ara ranged to slidevertically in said breech-block and adapted to engage with thecartridges in a belt or feed mechanism, levers pivoted to thereciprocating breech mechanism and en` gagging with the carrier, n crankconnected with the breech n iechanism and adapted to be turned by theto-and-fro movement of the same, and pins or projections on the.said

iqrank adapted to encounter theflevers and raise the carrier at a'giveupoint in the forward movement of the carrier, all substantially asherein set forth.

3. 'lhe combination, in a machine-gun, with a reciprocating breech-blockmovable in line with the barrel, of a cartridge-feedgbelt adapted to beintermittently moved through the gun above the breecln'a. carriermovable vertically in the lu'eeeh-blockand formed to engage with acartridge' in the'feedfbelt and Y A I that in the breech when thebreech-block is .of another cartridge '-m the belt, which earl in itsforward positiomaud shifters or devices y I adaptenv to operate invconjunction with the fset forth moving breech-block to encounter ehesaid' carrier and raise or depress the same accordblock andaicartridge-feeding mechanism, of

a' carrier movable vertically in said breechblock end adapted 1o engagewith the shells H in ythe breech andfeed mechanisms, and shiftf l ersorvdevices placed in positions to encounter the carrier fordepressing orraising it according to theposition of thebreechl-block:

' 1 V5.l The combination, with the reciprocating breechLblock (L'thecarrier AM, arranged to slide vertically therein, the levers4 N,4pivoted to the carriere-the crank-shaft; `D,'provided with pins or project-ions D, which are adapted to encounter and move the levers N, thespring M5, in position to bea-r upon and depress the` carrier M, andrthe cartridge-retaining spring M, secured to the carrier, as set forth.

16. The combination, with the frame A and a. resisting-spring, A7,secured thereto, o'f an inner frame comprising the block ',the sidevplates, 132.133, and the cross-bar B4, secured to# gether and supportingthe breech mechanism, the barrel B," fixed inthe 'block B of the innerframe'and adapted to slide to and A'froth ere-`- With-'-n the frame A,the crank-shaft and pin for reciprocating the innerframeandtherebyoperating the breeci/i/nrehunism,and the arm D2, @arl-ieri by the Shaftandzaaptea to encounter the spring A7, to aid the return orion-- wardmovement of thfe inner frame and breech mechanism, as set forth.

. 7. The combinetion,\irith the recipricming breech-block, of the slideK2, provided with the stud K, and the pewlsl K3, adapted to act thelugs'B-BS on an extension or-arm from the plete B2, forming part of thereciprocating' breechV mechanism, the ings BT B8 being arranged tooperate the arms L L and impart movementto theslie Kgthrough the studK?, toWhich' the arm L isv connected, as set Aforth.

, 8. The combination, with the sliding barrel B of an automa-ticmaphine-gun, of .a water` chamber, P, surrounding the barrel, thestuifing-boxes P' P2, lnd pistons P4, surrounding the barrel at oppositeends of the Water-chamberrend` the intermediate coiled spring, PG,

acti-ng upon the said pistons with equal pressure,'asend for the purposeset forth.l

vIn testimonywhereof I have hereunto signed. my name in the presence'oftwo subscribing 'witnesses i/ HIRAM STEVENS: MAXIM.

. itnessesr GEO. J. B. FRANKLIN, z W. J. NoRWooD, .l Both of 17Gracechwr'chStreet, London.'

